Fulham continue their rise towards the Championship play-off places with a comfortable victory at Ipswich Town.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

It's almost time to sign off until Wednesday, 28 December but before we go, the Suffolk Live team would like to wish you a very merry Christmas.

Cleah Hetherington, Graeme Mac (hiding behind his mug), Kate Arkell, Steve Martin and Luke Deal are in the back row, (l-r) and I'm sporting a very fetching jumper (even if I say so myself) with antlers on the front, with Kelly McCormack resplendent in red.

Have a great few days, we look forward to your company again next week.

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says there is no pressure on him to sell any of his players in the January transfer window.

Image source, Getty Images

Supporters are worried that the likes of Adam Webster (pictured), Bartosz Bialkowski or Andre Dozzell could be lured away, particularly after the club reported a loss of £6.6m in their latest accounts this week. 

However, McCarthy's been telling us owner Marcus Evans isn't on his back to balance the books.

"No, he isn't and that's never been the case for as long as I've been here," said the manager.

"In fact, the need to sell has been resisted in the past with David McGoldrick a couple of years ago and Daryl Murphy [at this time] last year."

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

I've just nipped out into Ipswich town centre to see how many people are still doing their shopping - and there are still lots of shoppers either carrying big bags of goodies, or studying their shopping lists with big frowns on their faces.

I wonder what it will be like tomorrow? 

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

It will be business as usual for the Ipswich Town players and coaching staff ahead of the Boxing Day fixture with Fulham at Portman Road.

After having today off, the squad will be in both tomorrow and on Christmas Day. 

Manager Mick McCarthy says it is something that has to be done: "If they don't come in and don't train the day before a match then it wouldn't be normal.

"It's good to get them in and get them away from the Action Man and Sindy dolls for a bit, or whatever the equivalent is now!"

The owner of Stan, the captive golden eagle who disappeared two weeks ago from his home in Hemingstone, near Ipswich, says the current weather conditions could make it difficult for the raptor to make his way back.

Image source, Kris Ford

His keeper Kris Ford said: "If the wind really picks up as forecast during daylight hours, he literally could end up just about anywhere.

"Eagles, golden eagles in particular, really thrive in the wind, whereas a lot of birds will sit down, hold on to something.

"An eagle will actually go on the soar, they can fly great distances at great speeds against the wind, and with it as well."

Chris Bell
BBC Look East weather

A brief period of heavy rain and gusty wind are possible at first, but clearing to the east by about 20:00, leaving a dry night with clear skies across the BBC East region.

Strong southwesterly winds at first with some gusts over 50mph (80 km/h)possible, but winds easing to moderate after the rain clears as the temperature dips to 2-4C (upper 30sF).

Christmas Eve will be dry and long spells of sunshine, but turning cloudier later from the west, with the temperature peaking at 9-10C (upper 40sF).

Visit BBC Weather for a more detailed forecast where you are.

Guy Campbell
BBC Radio Suffolk

A woodturner from Beccles is looking for new premises, after an electrical fire devastated his workshop.

Andy Coates, who needs to replace about £40,000 worth of equipment and tools, says he needs to find premises to work: "It has to be somewhere affordable that is physically big enough to fit the lathes in and the other equipment so I can get back working again.

A Just Giving page set up for Andy has already brought in donations of nearly £4,000.

Guy Campbell
BBC Radio Suffolk

Donations of nearly £4,000 have been raised this week, to help a Beccles woodturner whose business was wrecked by an electrical fire.

Andy Coates says two friends on Twitter set up a Just Giving page: "I was in tears for hours.

"[The amount is] staggering, it has been absolutely and utterly overwhelming.

"Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of messages."

The fire at Cobweb Crafts, external destroyed about £40,000 worth of equipment and tools.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Further details have been released about the robbery of a car in Waldringfield earlier this morning, and subsequent events:

• Newspaper delivery man is approached at about 05:30 by a 4x4, and has his Suzuki Alto stolen by one of the occupants. Both vehicles drive out of the village towards Martlesham
• Police receive reports of people attempting to break into outbuildings at property in The Street, Nacton at about 05:50. Suzuki Alto found here, rammed into a set of gates and set alight
• Ford Transit van stolen from property is driven away, colliding with police vehicle
• Van is pursued by police along Nacton Road towards A14 where it enters westbound carriageway, driving in the wrong direction, before colliding with central reservation
• Driver flees scene and runs into nearby fields, and despite a search involving NPAS helicopter, is not located
• Land Rover Freelander located by police on A14 westbound off-slip at Seven Hills - believed to be the 4x4 used during incident in Waldringfield

Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police on 101.

The driver of a vehicle which crashed into the safety barrier on the A14 at Nacton, while being driven the wrong way along the westbound carriageway, is being sought by police:

The Co-op recalls 165,000 hollow milk chocolate Santa figures after two alleged tampering incidents.

A stolen vehicle is driven the wrong way down the A14 before crashing, prompting a police search for the driver.

A man has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, following an incident at the Co-op store on Woodbridge Road on Wednesday.

Image source, Google

The 27-year-old, who lives in the town, is due to appear before magistrates today.

Police had been called at about 13:15, to reports that a man had demanded money, holding what appeared to be a gun concealed beneath a sock.

No-one was injured in the incident.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town's, externalDanish left-back Jonas Knudsen's clearly a big fan of England's busy Christmas schedule.

After being used to a mid-season break back home, the 24-year-old's now gearing up for his second Yuletide at Portman Road. 

"In Denmark you go and see family on the 25th and 26th and have some Christmas dinner, so it's a little bit different," said Knudsen. 

"Here it's about football on Boxing Day, everybody has to go to the football. I like it and look forward to this time of the year because I enjoyed it a lot last year." 

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Train company Greater Anglia, external is reminding customers about planned disruption to rail services due to engineering work over the Christmas period.

Engineering work is due to take place from 24 December to 2 January.

There will be no Greater Anglia services between Ingatestone/Billericay and London Liverpool Street during this time.

There are no services at all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, apart from a special Stansted Express service from 06:30 on Boxing Day.

At weekends and bank holidays (24, 27, 31 December, 1 and 2 January) there will be rail replacement bus services between Witham/Ingatestone and Billericay to Newbury Park for Central Line services.

From 28 December to 30 December, passengers from Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Braintree, Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich should change at Witham for rail replacement bus services to Stansted where they can catch the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street.

Passengers from Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford and Ingatestone should use a rail replacement service from Ingatestone to Newbury Park for Central Line services.

On 1 January, London Liverpool Street services will be replaced by buses between Cheshunt and Bishop’s Stortford. Stansted Express services will be replaced by direct buses between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

A man has been airlifted to hospital, external in a serious condition, after he was hit by a car on Birkfield Drive in Ipswich.

Ambulance crews treated the male pedestrian, believed to be in his 30s, for a serious head injury before he was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital for further care.

The incident took place just before 11:00.

Birkfield Drive has been closed, near Cambridge Drive.

Police are investigating the theft of lead from the roof of St Margaret Church in Toft Monks, near Beccles.

It has happened sometime overnight on Wednesday to Thursday.

Image source, Google

A newspaper delivery driver who was the victim of a car-jacking this morning had been doing his normal round of villages covering Newbourne, the Bealings, Debach and Debenham.

His car was stolen in Waldringfield.

Bob Chamberlin, the owner of Grange News newsagent, said: "It's pitch black out there this time in the morning, and he's been doing this for over ten years now without any problems whatsoever, so it's quite a shock to the system.

"We had rumours the vehicle was involved in an accident on the A14, but that seems to have been a different vehicle so no, we don't really know what's happened yet."

A newsagent says his delivery driver was approached by two men who stole his car and drove off.

They were then believed to have crashed it on the A14 while driving the wrong way on the westbound carriageway near Nacton during a police pursuit.

Bob Chamberlin, of Grange News in Woodbridge, says his driver called him in the early hours of this morning to tell him his vehicle had been taken by the two men, who had arrived in a 4x4.

"In his car he had his wallet and his phone and all the newspapers," he said.

"He was left stranded but managed to flag down a passing milkman who called the police then later on he found a customer who was awake and managed to get on the phone to me and explained what's happened. 

"Since then he's been with the police, making a statement.

"I only saw him briefly - he was very subdued, quiet and obviously very shaken up."